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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22738237">Candy-Coated</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_etoile/pseuds/silver_etoile'>silver_etoile</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>SKAM (Netherlands), WTFock | Skam (Belgium)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Valentine's Day</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 04:29:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,603</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22738237</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/silver_etoile/pseuds/silver_etoile</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Valentine’s Day. Jens’ eyes widened as he realized. Fuck.</i>
</p><p>
  <i>Robbe seemed to watch the realization hit him, shaking his head softly. “You forgot.”</i>
</p><p>A Van Der Stoffels Valentine &lt;3</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jens Stoffels/Lucas van der Heijden</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>109</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Candy-Coated</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Find me on <a href="http://azozzoni.tumblr.com"> tumblr.</a></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“What are you and Lucas doing tomorrow?”</p><p>Jens looked up at Robbe’s question, away from the screen where Moyo was kicking Aaron’s ass at Mario Kart. He didn’t even blink any more at the way Robbe was so firmly cuddled on Sander’s lap. They seemed to come in a pair these days no matter what they were doing.</p><p>He shrugged. “I don’t know.”</p><p>Robbe frowned at his answer, and Jens didn’t know why. Was he supposed to know what he was doing with Lucas every minute of every day?</p><p>“Is he coming here? Are you going over there?” Robbe asked, a wrinkle in his forehead as though worried somehow.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Jens said again. He hadn’t talked to Lucas about their weekend plans. They didn’t see each other every weekend anyway, given the time and the cost and everything else they had to do. He didn’t know why Robbe seemed to care so much all of a sudden about what Jens and Lucas were doing tomorrow.</p><p>“You’re not doing anything for Valentine’s Day?” Aaron piped up as he lost the race and Moyo cheered, punching him in the arm. “God, I wish Amber would let me get away with that.”</p><p>Valentine’s Day. Jens’ eyes widened as he realized. Fuck.</p><p>Robbe seemed to watch the realization hit him, shaking his head softly. “You forgot.”</p><p>It wasn’t that Jens had forgotten. He just never thought about it. He’d never been dating anyone on Valentine’s Day before, and to tell the truth, Jens was pretty bad at being romantic. He wouldn’t even know where to start.</p><p>“Well, what are you guys doing?” he asked, nodding at Robbe and Sander. Robbe twisted his head to look back at Sander, who merely smirked.</p><p>“It’s a surprise,” he said, brushing Robbe’s hair from his forehead.</p><p>“Not another mural of my face?”</p><p>Sander shook his head, pressing a kiss to Robbe’s temple. “I’m not saying anything.”</p><p>Rolling his eyes fondly, Robbe glanced back at Jens. “You have to do something for Lucas.”</p><p>Jens didn’t reply for a minute, frowning at the couch. Do what exactly? The last time he’d even gotten close to romance, he’d accidentally invited Robbe and Moyo on a weekend he was supposed to be spending with Jana. He didn’t have the best track record when it came to these things.</p><p>“What’s this?” Moyo asked from the floor, setting up another match. “The infamous Jens, flirt extraordinaire, doesn’t know how to sweep a guy off his feet?”</p><p>“Fuck off,” Jens said, but Moyo did have a point. He hadn’t exactly done much sweeping with Lucas so much as falling, falling completely for the boy with bright blue eyes, a gorgeous smile, moles Jens liked to kiss before saying goodbye every time.</p><p>“Flowers are always a good start,” Sander said from behind Robbe.</p><p>“I’m taking Amber to a rooftop restaurant that has a view of the river,” Aaron said, surprising everyone as they looked to him. “And I got her a necklace.”</p><p>“Did you come up with that by yourself?” Moyo asked, almost sounding impressed, and Aaron shrugged.</p><p>“Amber pretty much told me what she wanted.”</p><p>Jens rolled his eyes, looking away from Aaron. This wasn’t helpful to him at all. What was he supposed to do on such short notice? Valentine’s Day was tomorrow and he hadn’t even invited Lucas to come over.</p><p>Sander seemed to sense his concern, tilting his head to the side. “All you have to do is think of what he would like, then add a little flair.”</p><p>“A little,” Robbe cautioned. “Not a lot.”</p><p>“Speaking from experience?” Jens asked as Robbe’s cheeks went red and Sander hugged him around the middle.</p><p>“He just means, try not to go overboard or you might scare him.”</p><p>It was all completely useless advice, but Jens had to do something, so he pulled out his phone and texted Lucas. Getting him to Antwerp was the first step. Then he’d worry about the rest.</p><p>*</p><p>Jens was actually nervous as he stood outside the bus station, scrolling through his phone mindlessly, nearly dropping the flowers in his hand as he tried to scratch his nose. He needed to get himself together before Lucas got there. He didn’t know why this felt so different than all the other times Lucas had come to Antwerp, but it did. Like he had something to prove.</p><p>“Hey!”</p><p>Jens turned at Lucas’ voice, meeting his big smile, and exhaling as Lucas threw his arms around his shoulders, hugging him easily.</p><p>“Flowers?” Lucas asked when he stepped back, eyebrows rising in surprise as Jens held them up.</p><p>“Happy Valentine’s Day.” </p><p>Lucas’ grin widened as he took the flowers, brushing his fingers over the white petals. They weren’t anything fancy, but the simplicity had made Jens think of Lucas.</p><p>“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Lucas echoed, reaching for Jens’ jacket, tugging him in closer so he could kiss him. It wasn’t a lingering kiss, though Lucas did hover centimeters away when he pulled back. “So are we going to your place?”</p><p>Shaking his head, Jens kissed Lucas again, soaking in the way Lucas kissed back, closed his eyes, smiled slightly against his lips. “We’re going to do something a little different today.”</p><p>“Oh?” Lucas’ eyebrows went up, but Jens didn’t say anymore, taking his hand instead. Jens could be romantic, and he was going to prove it.</p><p>*</p><p>“I’m not sure I can pronounce half the things on this menu,” Lucas said, frowning slightly at the paper in front of him. Candlelight flickered over his face, and Jens glanced up. He wasn’t sure he knew what half the things on the menu were either, but no one could deny it was the perfect restaurant.</p><p>Dim lighting cast a romantic glow over all the tables in the room, candles flickering on each table, wine glasses clinking, soft music playing from somewhere. The tables were covered with deep red cloths, and there were one too many forks set to the side of the plate.</p><p>“So what do you think?” Jens asked as Lucas glanced around the room, at the many couples eating dinner, gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes.</p><p>“It’s fancy,” Lucas said after a minute, straightening his forks.</p><p>It was that. Jens had googled ‘most romantic restaurants in Antwerp’ and aside from the rooftop restaurant he already knew Aaron was taking Amber to, this had come up next. He was sure someone was going to propose at any minute.</p><p>“Do you like it?” Jens asked when Lucas didn’t elaborate.</p><p>Lucas caught his gaze, pausing a second before he smiled. “Of course. It’s really nice.”</p><p>Jens didn’t know why Lucas’ answer didn’t reassure him, but he didn’t press it. It was exactly the kind of restaurant he pictured when he thought of what romance was supposed to be. It wasn’t as if he’d ever taken anyone else to a place like this before. With Jana and Britt, they’d mostly just spent time sneaking around their houses.</p><p>Fishing in his jacket pocket, his fingers wrapped around a box he’d stashed there earlier. He was going to wait until after dinner, once Lucas was fed and happy and smiling at Jens in that way that made Jens think he should have realized he liked guys way sooner, but with the atmosphere a little too quiet, a little too subdued, he figured why wait.</p><p>Taking a breath, he pulled the box from his pocket. He shouldn’t have been nervous, but he was. It was just a gift. People gave gifts on Valentine’s Day. That was the whole point of the holiday, wasn’t it?</p><p>“Here,” he said, sliding the box across the table as Lucas’ eyes widened in surprise.</p><p>“A present?”</p><p>“It is Valentine’s Day.” Jens shrugged, and Lucas seemed to hesitate.</p><p>“I didn’t get you anything,” he admitted after a minute.</p><p>“I don’t care,” Jens said easily, nudging the box closer. “Open it.”</p><p>“Okay,” Lucas said, hesitant, picking up the box and sliding off the ribbon. Jens watched carefully as he opened it, nervous, anxious. Lucas pulled off the top to reveal the shiny watch, the glass surface catching the light as Lucas tilted the box. “A watch.”</p><p>“The guy at the store said it’s their most popular for guys,” Jens said as Lucas stared at the watch. Lucas wasn’t really reacting, though, and it made Jens pause. He’d kind of expected some kind of reaction. “Luc?”</p><p>“Wow,” Lucas breathed finally, sliding the watch from the box. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”</p><p>“It’s Valentine’s Day,” Jens said, and Lucas nodded slowly.</p><p>“Yeah,” he agreed, but it wasn’t an enthusiastic sort of ‘yeah.’ At least not in the way Jens might have expected.</p><p>It wasn’t exactly jewelry, but aside from a silver ring Lucas sometimes wore, he’d never seen him wear any jewelry. A watch had seemed like the better choice.</p><p>He had expected a bit more than Lucas gazing down at the watch, biting his cheek as though thinking something he wasn’t saying out loud. Maybe he should have gone with the leather cuff, he thought as Lucas turned the watch over, metal links sliding through his fingers. Jens wasn’t great at picking out gifts either--maybe he should have asked Sander for advice. He bet Sander had gotten Robbe something perfect.</p><p>“You hate it, don’t you?” Jens asked finally, and Lucas seemed to snap out of his thoughts, shaking his head quickly.</p><p>“No,” he said, setting the watch gently back in the box. “I like it.” He glanced up at Jens across the table, reaching for his hand and squeezing. “Thank you.”</p><p>Jens still wasn’t reassured, but the server arrived at that moment to take their order and he was forced to stop thinking about it for the moment.</p><p>*</p><p>Jens caught Lucas glancing at the watch on his wrist as they walked along the river, lights sparkling off the water, other couples strolling the opposite direction. Lucas’ other hand was twined in Jens’, warm and soft, and Jens couldn’t help sighing as they came to a stop on the docks.</p><p>“What’s wrong?” he asked as Lucas gazed out at the water.</p><p>At his question, Lucas glanced at him, brow furrowed. “Nothing’s wrong.”</p><p>“You’ve been weirdly quiet since dinner,” Jens said, and normally, he wouldn’t have asked, would just have assumed it was something at home or a weird day, but he had a sinking suspicion that it had to do with him. He had a feeling it had to do with tonight and how Lucas hadn’t seemed completely satisfied. “Was it the restaurant?”</p><p>“No,” Lucas said simply, shaking his head, but Jens caught the way he sighed afterward.</p><p>Jens was confused. He’d done everything he was supposed to do--took Lucas to a nice restaurant, brought him flowers, gave him a gift. Wasn’t that what he was supposed to do? Wasn’t that what people wanted for Valentine’s? But Lucas wasn’t happy. He could tell just by looking at him that something was wrong.</p><p>“The watch?”</p><p>“Jens,” Lucas said, a small smile at his lips as though Jens had nothing to worry about, but clearly he did.</p><p>“Is it me?”</p><p>He didn’t want to ask, but he had to. He heard about couples breaking up on Valentine’s Day all the time. He just hadn’t thought he and Lucas would be one of them. Everything had been going so well the last couple of months. What had he done so wrong?</p><p>“Fuck, no,” Lucas said firmly, taking Jens’ face in his hands. “Everything’s fine.”</p><p>“It doesn’t seem like it,” he said. Lucas sighed and Jens knew he was right. His stomach sank at the thought.</p><p>“Jens, you know I like you,” Lucas said, and Jens frowned. This didn’t sound good. Buttering him up before breaking his heart. He wasn’t sure how he would take it if Lucas was going to be the one to break up with him. Fuck, he hadn’t even thought about it before this moment, but now that he was, his heart was in his stomach, pulse racing against his throat as he frowned at Lucas in the yellow streetlights.</p><p>“Good,” he said instead. “‘Cause I like you too.”</p><p>“And you know why I like you?”</p><p>Jens paused. Was this a trap? “My handsome face and winning smile?”</p><p>Lucas smiled, but Jens didn’t feel better. It felt like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. How could he have screwed up one night so badly?</p><p>“I like how laid back you are,” Lucas said simply. “How calm and chill you always are, how nothing ruffles your feathers, how you don’t try too hard.”</p><p>“Okay,” Jens said, still confused, but it didn’t sound like Lucas was breaking up with him. A breeze off the water rustled Lucas’ hair as Lucas gazed up at him.</p><p>“Everything was just so… fancy tonight,” Lucas said finally, and Jens frowned. The way Lucas said it, it sounded like a bad thing.</p><p>“Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do for Valentine’s Day?” That was what had been clearly communicated to him yesterday from the boys.</p><p>“I don’t know,” Lucas admitted with a shrug, looking as lost as Jens felt. “Maybe. But I’d rather just hang out with you. Watch a movie, eat pizza, make out on the couch.”</p><p>“We do that almost every time you come over,” Jens pointed out, and Lucas smiled slightly.</p><p>“I like doing that. I like being with you. When I’m with you, I feel like I don’t have to think about all the other shit in my life because everything is just chill with you.” He sighed, reaching for Jens’ neck, squeezing gently. “I appreciate all the effort you put into tonight, really, but it’s not you. It’s not us. I don’t want you doing things just because you think you’re supposed to.”</p><p>Letting out a breath, Jens almost laughed. He’d been worried for nothing. He should have known better than to worry that Lucas cared about Valentine’s Day. Robbe and Sander and Aaron had just gotten inside his head.</p><p>Lucas was right, he thought as they stood there. They didn’t need to do anything fancy or ridiculously romantic just because it was a holiday. They didn’t need to be anything other than themselves. Jens didn’t want to be anything but himself, even if it meant fucking up holidays.</p><p>“Fuck, I’m an idiot,” he said, and Lucas shook his head, stepping in closer.</p><p>“You’re sweet,” he said instead, kissing Jens softly.</p><p>Wrapping his arms around Lucas, Jens didn’t let him go for a long moment, kissing on the dock as couples strolled past, hand in hand, the wind chilly as it cut through their jackets.</p><p>“Don’t ever tell the guys that,” he said when Lucas pressed a kiss to his cheek. He felt Lucas’ smile against his skin.</p><p>“I won’t,” he promised, kissing him again.</p><p>“Want to go get some fries and catch a late movie?” Jens asked, breathing out slowly when he pulled away from Lucas, pressing their foreheads together.</p><p>Lucas smiled that beautiful smile of his, tilting his head to the side. “Can we sit in the back and make out the whole time?”</p><p>“Definitely,” Jens agreed, sliding his arm over Lucas’ shoulder as they turned. He was never taking advice from the guys about romance, he decided as they strolled down the bank of the river.</p><p>“I do like the watch, though,” Lucas said as they walked. “That was a good choice.”</p><p>Laughing, Jens pressed a kiss to Lucas’ hair, shaking his head to himself. Next holiday, he’d just ask Lucas what he wanted to do and whatever it was, they’d do it together.</p>
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